Improvement in firemen s extension-ladders



'2 Sheets--Sheet 1;

'P. PETE'RSON.

Fir'men's Extension-Ladder.-

N0.162,856. V Patented May 4,1875.

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2 Sheets--Sh eet 2.

P. PETRSUN.

Firemen's Extension-Ladder. Nd 52,856, Patented May 4,1375.

THE GRAPHIC CO.FHOT0'L|TH.39 8:41 PARK PLACLNJ'.

PETER PETERSON, OF NEWV MILFORD, CONNECTIGUT.

IMPROVEMENT lN FIREMEN'S EXTENSION-LADDERS.

Specificat'on forming part of Letters Patent No. 162856, dated May 4,1875; application filed April 7, 1874.

To all whom it may concer'':

Be it known that I, PETER PETERSON, of New Milford, in the county ofLitchfield and State of Oonnecticut, have invented certain lmprovementsin Fire-Escapes, of which the 'following is a specification:

braces, slotted standards, and weighted slides,

whereby the angle from the Vertical of the system of ladders may bevaried without injury to the stability of the same, and theladder-sections kept in suitable relation with the elevating devices.

Figure lis a side elevation of'an apparatus constructed according to myinvention, with the system of ladders elevated or extended as when -inuse. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same in the same position; andFig. 3 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, with the system oi'ladders lowered to the position required while the apparatus is beingtransferred from place to place, as desirable when not in use.

A is a bed-plate, provided with standards B, slotted as shown at a inFigs. 1 and 3. In each of the slots slides a weight or loaded slide, G,a rod, b, extending across from one weight to the other, as shown inFig. 2, and to this rod is pivoted or attached the upper end of aladder-section, D. The lower end of this Ladder-section D is connectedby togglebraces E with the bed-plateA in such manner that, with thesaid. braces in one position, as in Fig. 1, the ladder-section will ben'early Vertical, while, when the brace is in another position, as shownin Fig. 3, the said section will be much nearer horizontal. Upon therear side of the ladder-section D is another, F, connected therewith byclasps or guides c,

which permit a longitudinal movement of the section F upon the sectionD, and in like manner the sections F Gr are provided with clasps orguides, the number of ladder-sections thus connected being greater orless, as may be preferred. Working in bearings fixed upon the standards,or upon the bed-plate, as desired, is a shaft, H, carrying at each endtwo notched, cogged, or spurred wheels, I. These wheels are preferablyshaped after the manner ot' ratchet-wheels, as represented in Figs. 1and 3, the teeth a' thereot' gearing into the rounds d of theladder-sections, and studs e placed intermediately with the said roundsin such a way that, when turned in the proper direction, the said wheelswill lift longtudinally each laddcr-section as it comes adjacent. Forexample, first acting on the section G, it elevates the same until itsclasps or guides c press nward and catch upon certain springcatchesf,provided in the sides of the other ladder-sectiou F, upon which itmoves, the moving section G being thus fixed upon the end of the othersection F, and extendng above the same. This done, the second or nextadjacent ladder-section F falls into gear with the lifting-wheels 1,this being permitted by the movement allowed to the lower end of theladder-section D by the toggle-braces, and that permitted to the upperend of said section by the movement of the slide C in the slots a and,by the continued rotation of the said lifting-wheels, the section iselevated 1n the same way as the section G until, in the sane manner aswith the latter, its clasps or guides c pass over and catch upon otherspring-catches f, which attach it fiedly to and extending upward fromthe top of the section D. It will thus be seen that the connectedladder-sections constitute together a telescopic ladder, elevated orelongated for use by the action of the lifting-whee1s, and with itssections held in their elevated positions by the fixed resistance of thespringcatches f. As thus elevated, in the immediate neighborhood of aburning building, the ladder will aiit'ord access to the windows thereofor a means of escape therefrom. 'From each of the spring-catches f,passing inward to the one opposite, is a cord, g, extended at its centerto the ground. By pulling this cord the spring-catches are drawn inward,and, thereby releasing each pair of catches, the laddersection aboveenables the same to be brought downward, when desired, a reversemovement of the lifting-wheels during this descent of theladder-sections being, of course, permitted. The movement of thelifting-wheels is obtained from that of a spur-wheel, m, gearing into apinion, n, on the shaft H of the liftin g-wheels but loose upon thisshaft, between the lifting-wheels, is a drum, K, upon one end ot' whichis provided a pinion, r, having the same diameter and pitoh of teeth asthe pinion n, so tha-t the shaft r' ot' the spur-wheel m, being movedlongitudinally, the spur-wheel m may be brought out of gear with thepinion n and into gear with the pinion 7' to actuate the drum K. `Wheuthe spur-wheel is thus disconneoted from the pinion n the sha-ft Hiskept from turning backward by a pawl, a", working against aratchet-wheel, b", on the said shaft. Of course th s pawl is thrown outof gear when the laddr-sections are brought down, as hereintofore setforth. A

rope, N, extends from the drum K up over a pulley, u, on the top of theladder-section G, and, thence depending, has a car or platform, M, atits extremity, the shaft r being provided with a crank, r", or othersuitable means, whereby it may be rotated. The drum is readily actuatedto raise or lower the car in providing for the escape ot' persons or theremoval of goods, 850., from the upper windows or stories of buildings.When the laddersections are lowered, as hereiu previously described, andas indioated in Fig. 3, the apparatus may be placed upon any suitablevehicle for transport from place to place.

What I claim as my iuvention is- 'l`he eombination of the toggle-braces,slotted standards, and weighted slides with the telescopic ladders,Operating as set forth, the whole arranged as and for the purposespecified.

PETER PETERSON. Witnesses:

SHERMAN T. ADDIs, J oHN S. TURRILL.

